Eusseil m



Patented Jan. 2, li -9Z3.

RUSSELL M. coon, or TAMAQUA, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIeNoR 'ro ATLAS POWDER COMPANY, or wILMINo'roN, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION or DELAWARE.

EXPLOSIVE.

of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to perchlorate explosives which are similar in their explosive properties to existing standard grades of nitroglycerine dynamite. This application is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial Number 524,275, filed December 22, 1921, and relates particularly to potassium perchlorate explosives in contra-distinction to the ammonium perchlorate explosives to which the application aforesaid has been devoted.

Since dynamite was discovered, numerous attempts have been made to produce explosives more powerful than, or equally as powerful as dynamite, yet possessing superior qualities wit-h respect to stability. economy, resistance to freezing, or physiological effect of handling the powder. By the last named effect is meant the characteristic headaches produced by handling nitroglycerine dynamites. I

Among the many proposed substitutes tor nitroglycerine dynamite may be mentioned the mixtures of chlorates, sodium or potas-v sium. with resins. gums, and nitroaromatio compounds, and mixtures of inorganic nitrates with resins or nitroaromatic compounds. Each of these proposed explosives possessed some property which recommended it t the attention of the explosive consumer. ln most cases this was the'property of being non-freezing, or of not causing headaches. In some cases cheapness was claimed a virtue. Howcverea'ch of these proposed explosives suffered from one or 1922. Serial No. 566,583.

' For some years the development of pro posed substitutes for, or improvements over, dynamite, seemed to be in a state of comparative coma, induced no doubt by a feeling that success was well nigh impossible, udging by the many previously failures. This condition was suddenly changed,

within the last few years, by the development and manufacture of a new type of explosive, having for its base the comparatively new explosive salts, the perchlorates. Perchlorate explosives since their introduction on a commercial scale have enjoyed a remarkable success. Aside from the satisfactory results of several. years of extensive use, which period has served to show the satisfaction of the users with their nonfreezing and non-headache properties, as well as with their general explosive properties, one testimonial to their value is the large number of recently proposed explosive compositions which have as a necessary ingredient a perchlorate. These compositions usually contain, in addition to perchlorate, a nitroaromatic compound, such as dior trinitrotoluol. Sodium nitrate, manganese dioxide, ground coal and wood meal may also be included in the composition. They may also contain various socalled sensitizers. such as powdered metals, sulphur, or sulphides, waterproofing ingredients, such as paraffin and ceresin, and an anti-acid, such chalk. I

The period of use to which perchlorate explosives have been subjected has served to show that while, 110w n'ianutactured, they are adapted forcgeneral blasting work and other uses to which dynamite is put, some limitations are placed upon their use by their comparatively low propagation sensitiveness, as compared with nitroglycerine dynamites.

The object of my invention is to provide explosive compositions the main explosive in which comprises 'a large percentage of a perchlorate, or mixture of perchlorates, and in which the above mentioned disadvantages, i. e that of two low propagation sensitiveness for certain special work, is to a large extent avoi ed. It might be reasoned that a logical way to a proach this problem, that of combining the esirable properties of both perchlorate explosives and nitroglveerine dynamite, and yet eliminating the undesirable properties of both. would he to effect a mixture ot certain ingredients of eaeh explosive. l have found such to he the ease. llyexhaustive testsl have found that perohlorateexplosives prepared in the manner hereinafter set forth give the desired results. This may he aeeomplished hy ineludingin the explosive eomposition alow percentage ol an explosive liquid organie nitrate. such as might be used in dynamite. This may he further defined as a material. liquid at l.. which when mixed with 25 per cent of the inert suhstanre kieselguhr and packed in an 1} x 8 dynamite cartridge. van he rompletelv detonated with a No. (3 rap. Among these explosive organic nitrates. as ahove defined. may he mentioned nitroglveerine. i'etranitrodig'lyeerine. the nitroglveols. the nitroehlorhydrins. any ol these mixed with ni-- trated sugars. and an mixtures o'l' these i with themselves.

One example of such proposed explosive would have the following eomposition:

l'or eeul. Potassium perehlorate 5 Trinitrotoluol t 32 Nitroglyeerine and lttltlllltL'Olllfl \'(1 erine- 2 (Ilia-ll: l Another example would have the following Composition:

ler el-nl. Potassium perehlorate M 45 Coated sodium nitrate 2T Trinitrotoluol 2o Nitroglyeerine H 2 Ground coal 5 Chalk 1 Other examples may he given as l'ollows:

l'or rent. Potassium perchlorate ill) Coated sodium nitrate t i M 3$) Trinitrotoluol 25 Nitroglveerine Ground ('oal I; Chalk Ammonium perehlorate 24 Potassium perehlorate 25 Manganese dioxide -e 4. Sodium nitrate l7 \Vood meal 1 'lrinitrotoluol a 2G Dinitronionoehlorhydrin i, (hulk It is to he understood that the pertentage of these ingredients may be. varied and other ingredients added. in order to give explosives with certain desired properties with respeet to strength. t'umes veloeitv ol detonation. and density. without departiiu lrom the idea ol' nrv invention. For in staiu'e I do not limit m vsell' to the use of two per cent explosive liquid organie ill-- trate, since the results I desire run he ohtained tron'i'the use of from o1|e-l|all to three and one-halt per rent (llfm'jf. to Z;,;;() per eent).

The purpose ol' the explosive liquid organic nitrate is to raise the propagation sensitiveness ol the perehlorale explosives so that they compare more lavorahly in this respect with dynamite. and ran. as a result. he sueeessively used in speeial as in whirl: at present only the more sensitive 1lltI'o-- glyeerine dvinuimes run he applied. l haw fOlll'ltl. by ext nsive tests. that these new explosives. made as hel'ore deserilied. do not cause headaehes on living handled.

lv ioreover. repeated suhjertion ol these new explosives for long periods ol time to the temperatures enrountered in praetieal. use has resulted in no apparent rhange in their plrvsiral or explosive propel-i ies.

()n the other hand. under the same conditions. nitroglveerimd ."namites heeomo hard. their propagation sensiliveness deermlses. thev are suhjert to freezing and they are more dangerously sensitive to some l orn'is of handling.

llaving deserihed my invention what l elaim is:

l. An explosive (-onlaining potassium peri-hlorate and l'rorn one-hall to three and one hall per ('(llt (H.503? to 23.50%) ol an explosive liquid organie nitrate.

:\n explosive eontaining potassium perehlorate. l'rom ()ll(-ll;ll l' to three and one-hal l" per eent (llflll' l lo ILSU' 'I) o'l an explosive liquid organiinitrate and sodium nitrate.

I .\n explosive eonlainin; potassium perehlorate. l'rom oiu--hall lo three and one halt per eent (0.501! to I.5(l',') ol an explosive liquid I)l' 11'ill]l(' nitrate. sodium nitrate and trinitrololuol.

l. An explosive eomprising a mixture of l'JGl'tlllOIllt'tF form one-hall to three and onehal'l per eenl ('lljW I to 3.507;) ol' an explosive liquid organie nitrate. sodium ni trate. trinitrotoluol. and manganese dioxide.

5. An explosive eomprising a perehlorale mixture \vhirh inrludes potassium pen-lilorale. from one-hall' to three and one-hal l per rent (0.507; to 3.505,) o'l" an explosive liquid organir nitrate and sodium nitrate.

(3. .\n explosive ronfainiiu;- a perehlorate mixture ineluding potassium perehlorale and from .onwhali' to three. and one hal'l per eent (0.508 to ofil l l l' lllll' l;fl l'l'(l'll](.

7. An explosive eontainin; a perehlorate mixture ineludin; porussiuai perrhlora'te. from one-hall to three :iiiillme-lizill' per cent ti o .(0.50% t0 0f nitlfiglycerine and so- In testimony whereof he has affixed sigdium nitrate. nature in the presence of two itnesses.

8. An explosive comprisin a mixture of w H v perchlorates, from one-half tthree and one- RLbbELL COOL 5 half per (0.50% to 3.50%) 01 an explo- Wit-nesse s:

sive liquld qrganic nitrate, sodium nit rate W. F. AURAND,

and trinitrotoluol. F, H. GII/LUM. 

